Local News

Fort Morgan streets to be inspected

Assessment will help set priorities for street repairs, improvements

Some unusual-looking vehicles will begin prowling the streets of Fort Morgan next week, and may be seen driving around the city periodically for the next month.

The specially equipped vans and small trailers towed by pickup trucks will be conducting a comprehensive analysis of the condition of all of the city's 54 centerline miles of paved streets. This surface and subsurface technical assessment will help city officials determine the highest priorities for road repair and improvement projects going forward.

The condition of city streets has been identified in several recent surveys as a major concern among Fort Morgan residents. The Fort Morgan City Council has directed city staff to work on solutions to the problem, including ways to pay for the needed street repairs.

The city in recent years has budgeted between $750,000 and $1 million a year for street improvements, which represents an increase from the budget amounts allocated to streets in earlier years. But with full rebuilds of city streets costing about $1 million a mile, the city's current streets program is not keeping pace with the deterioration of the streets system.

The pavement analysis that will begin next week will provide city officials with a wealth of data regarding not only the condition of all city streets but the other assets found in the public rights of way, including signs, curbs/gutters, utility poles, landscaping, trees and other features. All of the data will be compiled into a database that the city will be able to use to most effectively budget for its streets maintenance program.

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The analysis will be performed by Infrastructure Management Services LLC of Tempe, Ariz., and will be conducted in three phases using different types of vehicles during each phase. These vehicles will pass over every mile of city streets, and may travel slightly below the posted speed limits in some cases. The first phase is scheduled to start Monday, July 18, and continue for most of that week. Other phases will follow, with completion expected in early August.

Residents are encouraged to try to avoid parking on the streets during this project, although it is understood this is not always possible.

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